Naming and perception can be everything. Say you’re making a boxing movie, and people might be interested. Tell everyone you’re making a film about Jake LaMotta, and there’s instant name recognition. Tell people it is called Raging Bull II, and that recognition turns to scorn. Another LaMotta film is well and good, but hitching it to Martin Scorsese’s heavy-hitter has another level of effect. And so the film originally conceived as Raging Bull IIbecameThe Bronx Bull. Now there’s a Bronx Bull trailer, so you can see what all the fuss was about.

Martin Guigui directed the film with William Forsythe starring as Jake LaMotta. If nothing else, this looks like it could be worth a look for Forsythe’s work; he throws himself into it. The rest of the production looks pretty ropey, despite a cast that could elevate the material.

And while the early controversy over the film led to a title change, some of the boxing footage is clearly meant to resemble Scorsese’s movie. And we thought that, after a lawsuit months ago, that the title change would also see this project doing more to “distance itself” from Raging Bull.

We don’t have any release date for The Bronx Bull at this point. Trailer via The Film Stage. While the original concept for this film seemed misguided at best, endorsement from LaMotta notwithstanding, it’s interesting to see that this may have become a watchable vanity effort. Will this ever see release? Hard to say, so take it in now while you can.